Jardine assessment and install

[Addicted2it_1]

If there are this many discrepancies between members who have installed the same exhaust system, I can only assume that the factory (Jardine) does not impose the high standards necessary to assure proper fit to ALL Rocket IIIs.

I have worked in manufacturing facilities all of my adult life, and I know that, if companies do not work to insure that tolerances will conform to the end user's requirements, then they are sure to be out of business soon.

The worst nightmare for a company is to have customer complaints aired here in a public venue, such as R3 Owners.com. If I were you, I would send them a letter or E-mail describing in detail what you have gone through in order to install their product. I would also tell them that you are a member of the online Rocket III online community; and that, if your concerns are not addressed, you will not hesitate to post your experience with their product to this public venue.

When we buy a product we have the expectation that it has been built to a particular standard of quality, and that it will fit our specific application with little or no problems. Obviously, your experience has shown that Jardine cannot be trusted to produce a product worthy of any seal of approval.

I have my own issues with Jardine, but my system went together with very few problems. Yours was not the case, which indicates that there is poor quality control; or worse, no quality control at all.

 

[Navigator]

Mike: Your friend, and I speak very fluent Spanish, has brass balls riding in Mexico with all that is going on down there now! :shock:

Native One

I've wanted to take a ride into Mexico but, like you, believe it not to be prudent. He knows quite a few people there and always has a great time. He is very aware of the risks along the border but maintains that these area are not representative of the rest of the country. Me, I have a lot of the U.S. to see first and I don't speak Spanish; yet.

 

[Navigator]

Good point on the mounting. I got a drawing from Jardine, (they didn't have any pictures of the system mounted). The only mounting points shown are at the headers and the saddlebag rails toward the end of the mufflers. The stock system has a bracket in the middle of the crossover pipe that bolts to the engine. There's also a bracket that bolts to the passenger floorboard on the right (nothing on the left). Neither bracket is shown on Jardine's drawing. Without those brackets there would be nothing supporting the whole system from the headers to almost the end of the mufflers.

I really don't want to be guinea pig, especially for $1,000.

The lack of a support at the crossover doesn't seem to matter. I still don't like it though so am going to come up with something. I know, I'll use a wire coat hanger. Yeah, that's the ticket.

Addicted2it. I am sure they no it. Surely dealerships have given them feedback.

 

[Trirocket3]

I fitted Jars when they first came out.
No major problems then or since

Are you sure that left pipe hasn't had a wack in transit?
can't check against mine cos I've cut them up.

 

[Navigator]

I fitted Jars when they first came out.
No major problems then or since

Are you sure that left pipe hasn't had a wack in transit?
can't check against mine cos I've cut them up.

No, that is the way it was fabricated. We all looked at it closely to see if it showed any evidence of being bent. Normally the inside of the bend on a chromed pipe will indicate it. It's just the way the exhaust was put together. I believe the right side crossover pipe has a reverse bend at the same angle. It just seemed to us that if they were both 90 degree angles, it would provide a better alignment at the hanger. It is difficult to explain. One must see how the muffler moved when trying to align it.

 

[RocketEd]

Good write up, Mike.
Did you give the Peninsula tech a try since they're right next door?

 

[Navigator]

My momma always told me that if I didn't have anything good to say about someone to not say anything at all. I PM'd ya.

 

[Huntsville Rocket]

Thanks Gasket, your information is of particular interest to me. I have the full set of Jars on my 07 Rocket. They were installed by a Triumph dealer, and figured they should know the ins and outs. But I've always had this visual problem with the left side pipe. The angle didn't seem to be balanced or the same as the right side. I'll be taking a more critical look to see if it passes the Gasket Inspection.

 

[Navigator]

I would remove the left side first and see if it under stress, as was mine. The way you will know is to hold the left muffler and gently pull it up to the align the tab with the strut. If you meet a lot of resistance and have to force it into place, you have the same situation as I. You can elect to fix it as did I or live with it.

With that said, I found out this evening that is is not just Jardine. I rode out my friend's shop tonight for our weekly get together. He asked how the weld worked out and I told him it was a perfect fit. I then said that I couldn't understand how Jardine could get it so wrong. His answer was that it is not only Jardine. He recently received a beautiful Super Trap muffler with no hanger welded to it at all. Some dope on the fabrication line just did a bad job, in spite of Super Trap's normally excellent quality control process.

 

[Addicted2it_1]

[Snip]

With that said, I found out this evening that is is not just Jardine. I rode out my friend's shop tonight for our weekly get together. He asked how the weld worked out and I told him it was a perfect fit. I then said that I couldn't understand how Jardine could get it so wrong. His answer was that it is not only Jardine. He recently received a beautiful Super Trap muffler with no hanger welded to it at all. Some dope on the fabrication line just did a bad job, in spite of Super Trap's normally excellent quality control process.

I don't believe SuperTrapp mufflers come with hangers. My friend installed dual SuperTrapp system on his V-Rod and had to fabricate hangers and weld them to the mufflers.

My R3 had SuperTrapps on it when I bought it previously-owned. They are stainless steel, and the previous owner had coated them with high-temperature paint -- and not the best job. I was going to remove them and have them professionally polished or buy brand new ones, but found out that they did not ship them with hangers. I decided to go with Jardines instead of messing around with them.


Yuck! Hated them!